12 comments:

Listening to Tito on WEEI right now. Very, very interesting stuff. He was just talking about Manny, answering a question about how why he couldn't get through to this year's players but he could manage a guy like Manny. He said he brought in eight veteran players, like Papi, Lowell, Tek, etc., and told them what he could do about Manny and what they thought he should do, and they all said they would handle it and if they couldn't handle Manny anymore then it'd be time to make a move. Then it did get too much and Theo traded him.

Hmm. Regarding the veteran players, I am highly skeptical that the lack of vet leader types like Lowell, Schilling, shit, even Millar, Mueller etc. on this years team is a large part of the reason for the apparent clubhouse drama.

Look at the starting 9 - Varitek was apparently as much of a cactus in the clubhouse as he was on the field, I believe it. Other than that, Drew was the one with the most seniority and he was gone for most of the year.

Papi is the only other notable veteran, who is a clear follower and not a leader.

The pitching staff clearly does not have any veterans that can lead by example - Beckett, nope. Relievers - nope. Wakefield maybe but he also seems like a follower to me.

The rest of the regular players are all young - Ells, Craw, Yook, Gonzo, Pedey, Lowrie, Salty etc.

Scutaro doesn't seem like a leader either.

Take a page from the Boston Bruins - they had veteran presence like Chara, Recchi who have been around for years and are key players that can lead by example. This is something that the Red Sox are clearly missing. I hope Gonzo can step into that kind of role going forward, otherwise they need to sign some vets or a manager that isn't going to put up with shit.

When you have a self-moderating team, you can have a manager like Tito. But this team clearly isn't self-moderating so they either need a hard ass manager or some real leaders.

Do they need General Patton in the locker room telling them their every move.

They just in the end were not good enough. Are worst pitchers were awful and are best were mediocre at best.

I am sure though if some "veteran" presence was there to "lead" them we would have made the playoffs.

It is all bullshit , looking for answers why we didn't win.Well we ended up with the 9th best team era. in the AL they gave up the 6th most runs in the AL, you can only hit yourself out of so many games.And that last game of the year we had a catcher from pawtucket , an old RF'er , an underperforming LF'er and a guy who couldn't start for the royals all in the lineup..